We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It’s a strange time to be thankful, but it’s the perfect time to count your blessings!
Many people are out of work, government officials have restricted movement, life is uncertain and there’s no light at the end of the tunnel and no seeming end to the chaos.
It’s the Year of Coronavirus when nothing else captures our attention. The things that were important just a month ago are now long-past memories. Trips, concerts, must-do projects, even weddings and other family gatherings, are now on the back burner.
Still, in the midst of confusion and turmoil, you can find peace and calm.
When you are grateful, your perspective changes. When you are grateful, your world changes. But more importantly, when you are grateful, your view of you changes.
Gratitude will change your attitude. Thankfulness will deliver hope.
You can’t diminish or understate the times in which we live. Whether you believe the situation is overblown, hyped or that all of civilization is threatened to extinction, we live in precarious days. No doubt.
And, here’s the reality. You can’t change very much, if anything, about your circumstances. Not. One. Thing.
But you can change your perspective. And it’s your perspective, your attitude and your mindset that will see you through these troubled days.
Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.
Robert Schuller.
So, in the midst of the tears and the reality that is life in 2020, now is the perfect time to take inventory of the good things in your life. And be thankful.
Take out pen and paper and start your list. Don’t let your mind wander to the things you need or want or don’t have. Think about those things you do have — even the intangible things — that maybe you have taken for granted or otherwise forgotten.
Here are some things to help you get your list started:
- The obvious things like food, clothes, shelter.
- Family. Friends. Great time to deepen relationships.
- Memories. Re-live experiences of the past.
- Sunshine. Rain. Snow.
- Toilet paper.
- Nice neighborhood, trails to walk through.
It’s Monday. Get the week started on strong footing. Make that list, and hang it up on your fridge, your bathroom mirror or somewhere you will see it several times a day!
You can always find something to be thankful for, even in tough times. No, especially in tough times!
Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances;
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.